PKK claims responsibility for killing 5 Turkish soldiers

12 May 2017 11:12 CEST

The People’s Defence Forces (HPG), which is the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on Friday claimed responsibility for a series of incidents which left five Turkish soldiers dead and 12 more injured.

The HPG said in a statement that on 8 May, their forces attacked a Turkish military convoy in the southeastern province of Hakkari, injuring four Turkish servicemen.

On 9 May, three Turkish soldiers were killed at a post in the Cukurca district of the Hakkari province.

On the same day, the Turkish army launched an offensive in the province. Near the village of Cilmerga, Turkish troops are said to have been attacked by HPG fighters, resulting in the death of one serviceman. Eight more troops were injured during the offensive.

According to the document, members of YJA STAR, the women’s military branch of the PKK, on Wednesday opened fire on army positions in Cukurca, killing one serviceman.

Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist organisation. After the ceasefire between the parties broke down in 2015, Ankara started a military operation against Kurdish militants. Turkey’s Defence Minister Fikri Isik said in April that government forces had killed over 10,000 Kurdish militants since July 2016.